Odds & Ends: How to Boil an Egg
If you've ever tried boiling an egg, you probably know that making the perfect hard-boiled egg requires more skill and technique than just throwing an egg in a pot of hot water. In fact, if you practice that method, you could end up with green yolks, tough whites, or the dreaded sulfur scent. Gross. To avoid these eggy fates, follow these simple steps and you can't go wrong:
- Start with a saucepan of cold water. Make sure eggs aren't stacked but rather lie in a single layer in the pan.
- Over medium heat, bring the water to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the pan from heat.
- Allow the water to cool enough so that you can comfortably put your hand in the water and then transfer eggs into a large bowl of ice water with a pinch of salt. Let the eggs to cool for about 10 minutes. And voila–perfectly cooked eggs!
If you're feeling a little creative and have a little extra time to cook up your eggs, you can actually bake them. It's a totally out-of-the-box way to make hard-boiled eggs, but it works well (and the shells peel off much easier). Here's how:
- Simply place your eggs in a muffin tray to prevent them from rolling or cracking.
- Bake them at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. (I cooked mine at 350 for 30 minutes and they were perfect. However, depending on your oven, you may need to adjust the temperature down to 325.)
- Remove from muffin pan using tongs or a spoon and place eggs into a large bowl of ice water with a pinch of salt. Let them soak for about 10 minutes or until they are cool. This makes the shell easier to peel and stops the egg from overcooking.
This method is mess free and incredibly simple. If you ask me, it's pretty much foolproof. One thing to note: When they bake in the oven, they will often develop small spots. You can ignore these.
Here's my most recent batch:
Told you they were foolproof :-)
Do you have an Odds & Ends blog request? Tell me about it in the comments below!
XO Lauren
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Photos: The-Girl-Who-Ate-Everything.com, LifeHacker.com, Pinterest.com
32 comments
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If you start the eggs in cold water (to avoid cracking if you drop them straight into hot water) then boiling an egg should take exactly 6 min from when the water starts to boil - about 8 mins from when they go into the pot. for soft boiled eggs it is about 1/2 that!
Suzanne is right, adding baking soda to the water makes them easier to peel. Usually, the fresher the eggs are the harder they are to peel and this trick is magical.
Kate
onedaydress.wordpress.com -
this post was super timely, as I've been dying for some yummy hard boiled eggs for a snack lately! and I've NEVER boiled an egg myself, pretty sad to be a 30 something without that skill:) thanks for this easy how to!
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TIP!: If you are boiling your egg/s, add some vinegar to the water to make your eggs easier to peel! :)
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I already said how much I liked this, and promised a soft boiled egg recipe
these are AMAZING! please check out this blog:
http://christinascucina.blogspot.com/2012/06/perfect-soft-boiled-eggs-with-soldiers.html
thanks! :)
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ooo I want to try the oven method! Sounds great :)
xo Emilie
PS please check out my latest blog post @ http://www.hungrydelights.com/ -
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My mother usually put the raw eggs in the eletric cooker and makes them cooked along with rice.
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That's interesting, I've never baked eggs like that! I'll definitely try it! :-)
Liesl xxx
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I used to eat hard boiled eggs everyday growing up! They're great for storing in the fridge and tossing in chicken or tuna salad the next day!
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I've found that using farm fresh, grass fed, or cage-free eggs, yeilds great results.
I like to 'temper' the eggs first by placeing them in a bowl of warm water before adding them to the pot. Once the water has reached a roaring boil, I place the eggs individualy with a spoon to to prevent breakage.
I boil mine for 8 minutes which for me seems to be the magic number! I then remove the pot from heat and place in an ice bath.
For best results I boil about 5-6 eggs at a time. The eggs come out about 'medium' with a bright orange center, completely cooked but not over-done!
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Looks good! I will definitely try this. What's weird is that my mom just made soft boiled eggs this morning, and she will be posting them soon. Check out her blog! Thanks :)
http://christinascucina.blogspot.com/ -
@Kirby Orosco I set my eggs in cold water and once it hits boiling point, I let the eggs boil for 30 minutes. I have never had trouble peeling the shells:) Maybe try that!
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I found a Pin that said add baking soda to your eggs when boiling. And they will peel easier. Havent tried it yet though.
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@Maria, why do you poke a hole in it? That's weird! ;)
I don't really like hard boiled eggs, so this particular post doesn't appeal to me, but I gotta say, I do like the "odds and ends" concept. Just random information that every girl should know. You could also do things like how to change a tire or other general knowledge stuff.
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great idea! i honestly never would have thought of this :)
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What about peeling eggs? I can never seem to find a way to peel them with ease, or at least as easy as my mom made it look.
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I made boiled eggs this morning for breakfast and they turned out perfectly! I just boiled mine for 15 minutes, starting in cold water, dumped out water and let them cool on counter. Voila! Ate them about 20 min later with some sea salt and fresh chives.
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It is way easier, you weird Americans. :D
Just pinch a hole with a needle in the rounder end of the egg and than put in the water and boil the wanted amount of minutes... see not that hard! ;)
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